Right Here In My Paws
by HollirotxX
Summary: What would you do, if one day you woke up to find your new cat as a human? Ask Matthew Williams, because it's happening to him. Yaoi, PruCan, Possible Mpreg, Nekotalia-ish.
1. Prologue

Okay, so this is my first PruCan story. First Hetalia story as well. First story that also deals with animals. Lots of first, huh?

Disclaimer - I don't own this series, or any series. If I did, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction for them.

~x~x~Prologue~x~x~

Matthew sighed as his father laughed loudly with his friends in the room below him. The teen had been locked in his room again, under his fathers orders, The excuse was the same each time "You are so special, and so adorable, I fear someone trying to take you away from me." He would say, before pushing a sad and protesting Matthew into his bedroom. The conversation would end with a lock clicking, In his 18 years of life, the poor boy had only had contact with two people, his father and his teacher. While his father had been free to roam about anywhere he pleased, both Matthew and his teacher had been trapped in the house. Subtle hints had been dropped that he and his teacher were a rare breed. He had been taught everything his teacher had been able to get to him. However, quite a few months ago, the man Matthew had grown to love had just disappeared, leaving the blonde lonlier then he'd ever thought possible.

Carefully cracking open his window as far as it would go, he slipped outside, hoping it was a clear night. Years ago, his father had placed something on the windows, blocking Matthew from seeing anything outside, and stopped anyone from being able to see in. There was a tiny space at the bottom which he was skinny enough to fit through. Ever since, he'd been sneaking out, always happy to see the moon and stars. Being as stealthy as he could, the blonde made his way to the flower garden. After locating his normal place between two rosebushes, the blonde settled back to stare at the sky. Nearly falling asleep after being out for such a long time, he was jolted awake frightfully fast due to a loud meow.

To the left of him, staring right at him, was a short haired, pure white cat. Barely holding in his squeal of excitment, he reached a pale hand out to the animal, happy when it allowed him to pet it.

"You're quite a handsome cat." Matthew mumbled, letting a soft giggle fly over their heads. The cat meowed at him, and he gave it a sad smile. "I wish I could keep you. But daddy never lets me keep the cats that come around here. He pretends they aren't there, but I can hear them." He picked the cat up and buried his face into the fur. A few tears escaped, the lonliness overwhelming him for a minute. The cat squirmed until it felt the tears damping his fur. Going limp, it licked Matthew's cheek, getting a giggle from the boy.

"Will you come stay with me for a while? My father will make me get rid of you when he see's you...but, until then...please?" He asked, setting the cat down before starting the walk back to his window. After giving the cat a boost through, he began the task of pulling himself back in. It was always a hardship getting back in, but one he was worth it. Once he was finally back in, the cat gave him a look that made him almost think it was laughing at him. Giving it a bright smile, it was his turn to laugh as it nearly fell backwards off the bed.

Once Matthew was settled in his bed, his new friend curled up around his head, tongue bathing his ears. They twitched and Matthew began to purr. You see, the blonde was indeed special. For as human as he looked, he also had a white cat tail, and two perky kitty ears.

~x~x~End Prologue~x~x~

So, my mom is the hospital with a dead kidney. It broke open a few days ago. If she hadn't gone to the emergency room, within a few days she would have died. Which is reallyreally shitty. I love my mom, and I dunno what I would do without her. She might be coming home in like, 5-ish days, so if she does, I'll probably be taking care of her. So it might take me a some time to get more chapters up. Don't hate me? aha.

Reviews would make my gloomy little day!


	2. Making Friends is Fun

;-; All of you reviewers out there .day. It made me soooo happy. I am very happy to report my mom said she is feeling better! She might be coming home on Monday. It's like, a very good possibilty now. I didn't think it would happen, because when I saw her, she didn't look too good. But, yay! I'm happy. I miss my mommy. She keeps me company... ; Anyways...

You guys, you broke a record for me. 8 reviews on my prologue! Yay-ness. I love you guys xD Oh! And I want to say that his father is a faceless man. No one from the show. Because I just can't imagine Arthur or Francis acting that way.

Disclaimer: I don't own this. I don't even own the chicken I'm cooking.

For my two annon. reviews -

maybe-a-bee: Thank you darling.

Jlley Wtcih: (My first reviewer!) :3 creepy smiles are all the rage! I hope you enjoy this!

Dedicated to my mother, in hopes she comes home healthy!

~x~x~Chapter 1~x~x~

The next morning Matthew woke up to the sounds of his father unlocking his door. Looking behind him, he could see the white cat staring at the door.

"Hide, please? I want you to stay, but if my father catches you here..." To his surprise the cat gave a short nod before darting underneath his bed.

"Good morning, my little Matthew. Hope you slept well last night. I've got some sad news my darling. I'm leaving on a last minute business trip. I'm not sure how long I'll be gone, but I've had someone go shopping for two weeks worth of groceries, and the cleaning and gardening service has been asked to not come by. I'll be leaving soon, but don't feel too lonely without." His father talked rapidly, not giving Matthew a chance to interrupt him. He didn't even give him a chance to reply, closing the door as quickly as he'd been talking. The blonde could feel himself quiver at the thought of being alone for at least two weeks. However, he didn't even think of saying anything to his father. He had tried once, and had been told, quite rudely that if he wanted to keep living with such luxury that he would be quiet. He hadn't had the heart to tell his father that he would gladly live without them if only he could have some company.

He was broken out of his thoughts by a hiss. So lost in his thoughts, he hadn't noted that his new friend had crept out from under the bed, and was giving the best kitty glare at the door it could. Jumping on Matthew's bed, it gave a low meow before Matthew picked him up and curled into a small ball. The two laid there, listening to his father moving around on the lower floor. The white cat was once again grooming a purring Matthew, doing a good job at distracting the boy. Hurried footsteps below them signaled that the man was getting ready to leave.

"Are you hungry kitty-kitty?" Matthew asked after the front door had been slammed, hugging the cat, who let out a fairly loud meow. Giggling, he stood up and began to undress. "I'm going to take a shower first, and then we can go eat!" He was so happy, he forgot he was talking to a cat. A cat who was watching him with wide red eyes, almost surprised at the soft body being put on display for him. Once he was down to his boxers, he noticed the cat and just giggled at it, dropping a small kiss to his nose. It pulled away in shock, giving Matthew an odd look. "You're such a silly kitty!" The blonde spoke, violet eyes shining happily. Leaving the cat on his bed, he nearly skipped off to the bathroom. The cat sighed and began cleaning himself, hoping the beautiful teen wouldn't be long.

~x~x~x~x~x~

Twenty minutes later, the two were in the kitchen, Matthew cooking and chattering to his new friend.

"So, my dad told me I'm special because of my ears and tail. My old teacher had them too, but my father doesn't. He said I got it from my mom's side. When she died giving birth to me, he said her family wanted nothing to do with me... Are you okay!" Matthew freaked out as the cat began to growl and hiss loudly. Backing away, he eyed the animal. "You think they wanted to keep me?" He asked carefully, surprised when the cat nodded. "Uh, okay then. I'll believe you..." He slowly made his way back to making their breakfast. They didn't have cat food in the house, so Matthew hoped the pancakes he was flipping would be okay for the animal. Setting two plates down on the counter, he put maple syrup on his own, but hesitated with the cats plate. He squeaked when the cat nudged the bottle, tipping it over and helping him pour the thick liquid out.

"You're a special kind of cat, aren't you?" A thoughtful look passed over his face, which was quickly replaced with a smile once he saw the cat going to town on his pancakes. "I wonder, do you have a name? You seem so smart... and mostly well mannered. Can you help me figure out your name?" Matthew asked, not realizing in his isolation induced naivete, cats weren't supposed to act this way. Or be smart in the way this one was. A flick of a tail was his answer as the cat turned and headed for the living room. Following behind him, and leaving their dirty dishes to be done later, Matthew watched as the cat jumped onto a bookshelf, where he began browsing the shelves, looking closely at the spines. Level by level it went, until it found what it was looking for. Giving a happy and self-satisfied meow, it turned to Matthew. So he picked up to book it had last looked at, scanning the cover, and smiled. "William, or Gilbert?" He jumped onto Matthew's shoulder, and meowed. "William?" No response. "Gilbert?" And the cat began to meow and lick Matthew happily. "Okay, okay! Hello Gilbert! My name is Matthew." The blonde laughed and pet his friend.

~x~x~x~x~x~

Matthew spent the next two weeks playing and talking with Gilbert. The cat never once hurt Matthew, regardless of how many times Matthew accidently hurt him. The teen never gave any thought to what he said to the animal, and so Gilbert was soon finding out everything. From the happy, to the miserable, the good times and the bad ones.

"Besides dad, I've only ever really known one other person. My teacher. He was a kind man, and was always there for me when I needed him. But one day, he just left... I remember my father's yelling and screaming that day. I was so afraid... you wont leave me alone too, will you Gilbert?" He turned sad eyes on the cat, who froze in his ritual grooming of Matthew. He gave a snort of displeasure, before returning to licking. Days passed by fast, and before Matthew really gave it any thought, two weeks had gone by. His father was rarely gone this long, but sometimes it did seem like he just didn't want to come back home. During those times, his teacher had always said that his father had forgotten about him, and was just out playing. So, he figured his father was done with business, and just didn't want to come home. He had sadly told Gilbert his father would be back soon, which upset the cat so much, he'd nearly broken quite a few things with his freaking out.

The morning after the kitty-styled temper tantrum, Matthew woke up alone. Normally Gilbert would lay with him until he got up to make breakfast. Figuring the cat was still upset, he made his way to the kitchen, only to find a shirtless man, in his father's pants, staring out the window. The stranger stood tall, with white hair and broad shoulders, and a pair of pert white ears stood on top his head. Matthew did the only thing one could do in this type of situation. He screamed out in fear. The man whipped around, red eyes wide, causing Matthew to scream again.

"Matthew! Be quiet!" The man yelled, rushing to the hyperventilating blonde, clamping a hand over his mouth. "Calm down, I won't hurt you! Can't you put it all together? I'm the awesome Gilbert, the cat you've been hanging out with for two weeks." He rushed out, hoping to calm the boy. However, he watched in horror as the boy went limp, nearly falling to the floor. "Well, fuck."

~x~x~End Chapter 1~x~x~

I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter as much as I did. Yay, Gilbert is finally human...ish.

So, any guesses as to who his teacher was? A neko Matthew to anyone who can guess who(and to whoever can outrun Jealous!Gilbert)

So, I couldn't help but share this story with everyone, because Gilbert eating pancakes reminded me off it. When I first got my one cat, Caleb, he was a kitten. Really young, and super bold. One morning, I was playing on my laptop, with a toasted bagel with butter. I had one half left, and before I knew what was happening, Caleb was there, with his kitten teeth sunk into my bagel, dragging it off my plate. I sat there, staring at him in shock. He stole my bagel. and he almost got away with it. But I stole it back :3

Reviews make my gloomy little days brighter!


	3. I'll Keep You Safe

My mommy came home today ^^. YAY! She's doing pretty good. Most of the infection in her kidney is gone, and in a few weeks, they'll be taking it out. Bleh. It sounds so ick. I hate medical issues. Guess we know what I'll never be, huh? Although I do have to put my mom on an IV drip once a day until her surgery...Wooo... Thank you to all the awesome reviewers, who made me feel so much better in a time when I thought the world was ending. Love you all!

My momma say's thank you to everyone for all the good wishes. :]

Disclaimer - I dun't own it. 'Nuff said

~x~x~Chapter 2~x~x~

The next time Matthew woke up, he found himself laying in his bed, curled up against a warm body. He went to scream again, but a pale hand clamped over his mouth, cutting him off before he could start.

"My god, you act like you've never seen a man before. Calm down. I won't hurt you, I promise." Gilbert spoke softly, hugging Matthew with his free arm. He heard and felt the slight whimper from Matthew before his mouth closed. "Good boy. now just listen to me, okay?" With a confirming nod, Gilbert removed his hand from the blonde's mouth. "I'm part of a race of ... cat people, I guess you'd call us. You're mother was one of us. She met you father somewhere (We were never sure where). But obviously she told him about us, and by old law, that was illegal. At the time, the older court was more in power, and so they basically banished her.

However, when she came back, terrified and pregnant, the younger court had gained more power. And they brought her back, because of the decline of births. She died during childbirth, and your father stole you right out of the midwife's house. He also kidnapped a noble, to be your 'teacher'. As I'm sure you know, he was able to get away recently and found us. He told us about you, where you were, and nearly demanded you be rescued. We've tried before, and obviously I finally got into the house to rescue you." Gilbert said, hoping Matthew not only trusted and believed him, but didn't ask too many questions. There were a few things he wasn't eager to answer. He did leave some things out, but he didn't know if Matthew was really ready to hear them. As it was, the teen was already gawking at him.

The only thing Gilbert cared about that moment, was if Matthew would faint again. Tears were filling up and clouding Matthew's eyes, giving them a shimmer. Gilbert helped Matthew sit up, and Matthew found a perfect place to bury his head in the crook above the still naked chest. "Will you come with me? Back to my -our- home? You'll never be alone again." The question floated between them, as Gilbert nuzzled Matthew's ears. Movement against his neck had him looking down at the boy. Matthew was looking up at him with large eyes, and once he was sure he had Gilbert's attention, he nodded his head. The albino sagged in relief, he had assumed Matthew would fight him over this.

"When will we leave?" Matthew asked, speaking for the first time that day. Not expecting him to say anything, Gilbert jumped in slight fear, causing the blonde to giggle. Hearing that giggle made it hard for Gilbert to hold any anger against the smaller male. So, he just smirked at the teen, causing another round of giggles. He didn't say anything for a while, as he thought of the an answer.

"As soon as I can get you to change into a feline. Then we can sneak out." He finally said, An excited Matthew pushed away from him, with a large smile that spoke volumes of his happiness. A quick shower and breakfast soon led way to the two standing behind the couch, in one of the most open area's of the house. Not wasting anymore time, Gilbert quickly started the lesson. "Alright, just relax a bit. Good, okay now, ah, feel the cat-ness? Like, imagine the feel of your fur, your claws, your whiskers... The whole thing. Think about a cat body. Concentrate..." The lesson was going very slowly and quite awkwardly. But, the white-haired male was happy to watch white fur starting to erupt over the teen's uncovered body parts. He watched as the blonde got smaller and smaller, his body reshaping. However, his attention was pulled away when he heard the sounds of the front door being opened. In a flash, Gilbert was once again a cat, and he pushed a startled kitty-Matthew under the couch.

"You're father is here. If he catches us, he'll probably kill me, and lock you up even tighter. So, be quiet." The warning was hissed lowly, as Gilbert pushed closer to Matthew, feeling the small body shivering in fear. The two were pressed so close together that Gilbert could make out the gentle curves of the small body pushed against him. And despite the situation, it felt wonderful. However the terrified trembling kept him from getting turned on. That and the loud footsteps that were drawing closer to their hiding place.

"Matthew~? Daddy's back~~." The way the man spoke made shivers race up Gilbert's spine. Matthew pushed in even closer to Gilbert, who had no choice but to set his paw on the other side of Matthew, nearly trapping him underneath his body. "Matthew? Where are you son?" While the two cats were cuddling together in terror, Matthew's father had searched the whole house for the teen. "I'm sorry I was gone for so long, so stop playing and come out!" He yelled, scaring the poor boy further. "Fine, I'll come back later, and we can have dinner together. If you don't come out for it, I'll completely block your window for two months." He called out after a few minutes of silence, and he left, slamming the door. When Matthew made to crawl out, Gilbert pressed down, stopping him.

"He isn't gone yet. He's standing right outside the door." He whispered directly into Matthew's ear, causing it to twitch uncontrollably, brushing lightly against Gilbert's nose. It took everything he had in him and more not to laugh. Five minutes later, he heard the man finally walk away, and so he let Matthew up and was able to scratch his nose. The two crawled out from their hiding place, and the white cat smiled at Matthew the best he could. "We need to get out of here. Like, now. I really really hope there was nothing you wanted to take with you, because we won't be able to carry it." Gilbert said, pushing Matthew towards a window, turning human as fast as possible to pry to the window open. As soon as it was cracked enough for them to fit out of, he was a cat again. Turning to look at Matthew, he blushed when he saw the shocked look on Matthew's face. It was a bit humiliating to turn human in front of someone, due to the fact the returned to that state without clothes on. It took a few minutes to coax the smaller cat to jump on the window sill.

"I'm sorry this is so rushed, but I hadn't thought about your father coming back. Just trust me." Gilbert said, before jumping to the ground. A distressed mewl followed him down, but once Gilbert landed, he looked up at Matthew, and he saw the other was okay. "I'm fine, Don't think about it, just jump. I promise you'll be okay." The larger cat called up. Closing his eyes, Matthew jumped. The shock of landing, forcing his eyes open. Gilbert took his time to look the other over, while he stretched his legs out. Long, white fur, with a small golden collar of fur around his neck. His tail was the same color, and he had a reddish colored leaf pattern on his thigh, near the base of his tail. He still had his beautiful purple eyes. All together, he was a gorgeous cat. By the time Gilbert was done staring, Matthew had shaken most of his nerves off and was busy sniffing the ground. Allowing a small smile to pass over his mouth, Gilbert pushed him towards the trees at the edge of the property. Making sure the small cat was always by his side, he nudged him softly when he stopped to sniff or look around.

At the edge of the trees, Matthew stopped and looked back at his old home. He felt nervous energy filling up hid throat. Gilbert understood that he needed a moment and stopped, giving the other a small bath. Gilbert had a feeling they would have stayed there longer, if Matthew's father hadn't started screaming from his car at them. He had spotted the two cats, and he'd probably figured out what happened. Nudging Matthew harshly, the two cats took off. The yells grew distant the farther they went, and eventually they faded. After what felt like an hour of running, Matthew finally dropped to the ground, exhausted after running so far.

"Again, I'm super sorry about this. We'll rest here for a while, okay?" Gilbert curled up next to the tired feline, feeling terrible. He was pushing the poor kid really hard.

"Thank you Gil. I'm sorry too. I'm just so tired." A yawn slipped out at the end, drawing it out. Chuckling at Matthew, Gilbert pushed him a little closer to the building they'd stopped by. He wanted to protect Matthew from anything that could hurt him. Half an hour into Matthew's nap, a throat clearing had both cats jumping up, although Matthew's tired limbs forced him back onto his belly. At the end of the building stood a big, gray cat, standing next to a smaller golden and brown cat.

"Ahh, Mattie, it's okay. That's just my brother and his boyfriend Feli." Gilbert explained to the cat beside him, who just gave him a tired blink. Matthew had pushed his body very hard, too hard and now he felt like he couldn't move."Stay here. I have to go talk to Ludwig for a bit. If you need me, I'll just be down there." And with that, the white animal bounded over to his brother, nearly tackling him. Watching them with hazy eyes, Matthew felt like he was floating. He couldn't care less about what was going on, he just wanted to stay here and sleep forever. Slowly slipping away, Matthew kept his eyes trained on Gilbert, not wanting to be left behind. Red eyes were the last thing he saw before finally falling asleep.

~x~x~x~x~x~

"C'mon Mattie, get up." Gilbert had let him sleep for a few hours, but was afraid anymore time wasted here would cause them problems. Matthew's father was probably out looking for them by now, and Gilbert wasn't looking forward to running into the man.

"Gilbert?" Matthew slowly stood on wobbly legs, moving to lean on his friend. In answer he swiped his tongue down the other cat's forehead and purred.

"How do you feel?" The white cat asked, slowly helping Matthew walk away.

"Okay, I think. I've never really ran before, so it was hard on me. Really hard." Matthew said, letting his tail brush Gilbert's. Both felines felt blood rushing to their checks, and slowly wrapped their tails together. Opening his mouth to speak again, Matthew was cut off by a low growl. After tilting their bodies so that Matthew was more guarded, Gilbert saw the dog blocking their way. It was large, black and looked mean. And it was looking their way, hunger shining in it's eyes.

~x~x~End Chapter 2~x~x~

Well, that took forever to get typed up. People kept interrupting me, and then I had to cook dinner... and it seemed like they didn't want me to get this down. x.x how mean, right? So, I had a thought the other day... I've made these guys into like...were-cats. Not were-wolves. Nope. Were-cats. It...kinda explains things? Aha. It makes sense in my head.

Reviews make my gloomy days oh so bright ^^ *hearts*


	4. The Games You Play

Happy Belated Halloween everyone! Gah, I had a very...interesting night. I dressed up in a faux corset, and was wearing a tiara, so I was kinda like a princess. My bestie came over and I dressed her up like a cat...including a leash. We went out and I walked her, aha. But, as we were walking home from the park (We just sat there and chilled) two of her friends snuck up behind us and started screaming, scaring the piss outta me. I might have maybe screamed myself, and I might have thought I was going to die. Her friends were dressed up as zombies, which is a huge fear of mine. v.v I hate her friends...

Btw, this is the picture that kinda inspired this fic. There was more then one, and when I find it again, I shall share that link as well

http:/ lovebobu . deviantart . com/ gallery/ ?offset=48#/d38ctu3

:] Anyway, this chapter is dedicated to Jamie. She can always make me smile, and I lovelovelove her for that.

Disclaimer: I no own!

~x~x~Chapter 3~x~x~

Gilbert let a warning growl fly from his throat as the dog began to move towards them. Wary eyes followed the dogs movements, so Gilbert was able to notice how the dog tightened his hind legs, and as a result he pushed both himself and Matthew out of the way when, dodging the attack.

"Stand down you stupid mutt! Unless you really want to start another war between our races." Gilbert growled, his fur fluffing up.

"And why would eating you stupid strays cause that?" The dog barked a laugh, licking his lips. Striking a regal pose, Gilbert looked a little proud.

"Well, I'll just have you know, I'm the prince." The words stopped the dog, who had been walking towards them. Seconds passed in silence before their attacker turned tail and ran. Gilbert turned to look at his friend, and could have cursed himself to death. Matthew was staring up at him in shock. Looking down at the small cat, Gilbert felt his stomach drop. He hadn't planned on letting Matthew in on that secret just yet.

"You're a prince?" The violet-eyed cat squeaked, backing away as best he could. He almost seemed terrified. For over two weeks, he had treated this royalty as a regular house cat. And for whatever reason, a prince had rescued him.

"Matthew, calm down. Yes, I am a prince. But I'm still Gilbert..." He answered, closing in on Matthew and attempted to cuddle the cat. Said cat was shaking so violently, Gilbert pulled away with a frown. "Relax! I don't understand why you're freaking out this badly."

"Uh, I haven't exactly met any royals before! Besides, why did you, a prince, come to rescue me?" The young cat was working himself into quite a fit, and Gilbert wasn't keen on wasting anymore time. Leaping on top of Matthew, he bit down roughly on the back of his neck, making Matthew yelp. He held his position until the cat under him went limp, and then unlatched his teeth.

"Listen up, okay? I don't care that I'm a prince. You're one of my people and no one else had been able to get you. That was enough reason for me to come for you." Gilbert hissed, obviously not happy. "Do you understand me? And don't you dare treat me any differently then before. We're still friends." With that said, the white cat finally got off his companion. Matthew got up on shaky paws, leaning on Gilbert again.

"O-okay." With his nerves even more frazzled, Matthew began walking, sticking close to his friend.

~x~x~x~x~x~

As they traveled, Matthew noticed quite a few cats glare at him. He figured it was because he was so close to their prince. So, he slowly moved away from Gilbert, hoping to lessen the nasty looks. And hoping not to let said cat know he was doing it. His plan backfired though, when two humans were able to get between them. In the time it took for them to fully pass by, Gilbert disappeared. Taking a few hesitant steps forward, Matthew looked around for the royal cat. They only place he could have gone was down the icky smelling alley. Matthew was torn. He didn't want to go down there, but he hardly had a choice. He had no idea where they were headed, and he knew he wouldn't survive long without help. Nearly having another fit, a paw carefully lifted his head up.

"Now, I hope that shows you why you have to ignore all the other cats and focus on me. Screw them." Gilbert said, rubbing his head against Matthew's. "Let's just keep going, okay? The sun is going to set soon, and I want to reach the safe house before that happens." Pulling away from the smaller cat, Gilbert led the way again, barely holding in his laughter as Matthew didn't let even a slight gap come between them.

They kept close to building fronts and out of the way of foot traffic and busy streets. Eventually the two came upon a house as the sun was dipping down beyond their sight. The white and gold cat had never been happier then when he saw Gilbert make for the stairs of the house. It had been such a long day and he would have loved nothing more then to just collapse to the the floor of the warm building. But, Gilbert forced him to go on farther, saying they were almost there. The only things in the house, from what Matthew could see were cat beds, cat playhouses, a fridge, a table and some chairs. "We have these safe houses all over in different cities, and towns. My brother has a place in one of the back rooms set up for us. A perk of being a prince!" Gilbert gave his best impression of a kitty smirk, and led Matthew to a small room, with a large cat bed. Anyone could clearly see the longing in Matthew's eyes, and this time Gilbert did laugh. "Go on and sleep. I'm going to go find my brother. I'll be back soon." He said, watching as his friend puled himself to the bed and lay down happily, curing up. Leaving the smaller cat to sleep, Gilbert walked to another room, knowing exactly where his brother was.

"Thanks Ludwig, I love that awesome cat bed!" Gilbert nearly yelled, pouncing on the bigger gray cat. The surprised he managed to get out of the younger cat sent him into a fit of laughter.

"Knock it off damnit! Can't you be serious for once?" Ludwig complained, trying to shake the psycho off.

"Aww, but I've been super serious all day for Mattie! Poor kid probably would have had a heart attack if I hadn't." Gilbert whined, sliding off his brother and laying down next to him. Feliciano was off playing on the cat tree with his own brother. There were a lot of cats there, unlike normal. "Why are so many here?"

"Well, you are the prince. Did you really think we would just let you go off without at least some of us?" Ludwig gave him an almost hurt look.

"...Only some of you? It looks like the entirety of the young court is here!" Gilbert exclaimed, giving his brother a small lick afterwards in an apology for basically insulting him.

"It wasn't just you we were concerned for, but Matthew as well. Have you told him yet?" The question threw Gilbert off his game, and he looked at his brother sheepishly.

"Haven't quite told him everything yet. Just haven't gotten around to it." He mumbled, flicking an ear in embarrassment. A disappointed sigh was the only response he got, and for a while, the two princes sat there, watching their friends play around. After a while, a fluffy white cat walked over to them.

"Before you leave tomorrow, I'd like to see Matthew. If you'll allow it." He requested of Gilbert, who snorted, but nodded all the same. The cat gave a happy purr and walked away.

"Well, I better get back to Matt. I don't want to have him wake up and me not be there. This is his first night away from home." He gave his brother a nod and then the albino was gone, off to the bedroom he'd left the younger cat in. Matthew was still awake, which surprised Gilbert. "How come you aren't asleep yet?" He asked, walking to the cat bed and settling in it with Matthew.

"Wanted to make sure you came back." Was the sleepy reply he got. Gilbert wasn't sure if he should feel flattered or insulted. Quickly choosing flattered, he got comfortable, curled around Matthew.

"Well, I'm here now. So you can sleep, okay?" He stated, and began to bathe Matthew's head, like he had for the past few weeks.

"M'kay." And with that, Matthew was out for the night, happily purring away, even in his sleep.

~x~x~x~x~x~

Morning came before Matthew was ready for it. He woke up before Gilbert, and so he took the time to look his savior over. He was larger then Matthew, which made him perfect to cuddle up to. He seemed so much more different then before, now that Matthew knew who and what he was. Getting up, he arched his back, and opened his mouth wide in a wakeful yawn. Settling back down next to Gilbert, he started to lick him, not even thinking twice about it. Gilbert had cleaned him before, so he was just returning the favor.

"Mmm, a guy could get used to this kinda wake up call." Gilbert purred, stretching his front paws out. Matthew giggled the best he could around the mouthful of his friend's fur. "As much as I'm loving this, we need to go eat something and then get moving. I want to get as far away from your father as we can, as fast as we can." Matthew whimpered at Gilbert's words.

"I'm not sure I'll be able to run as much or as fast today. Not so soon..." He said sadly, finishing Gilbert's bath.

"Don't worry. I'm sure we wont have to run like that again. At least not for a while. Your father has no idea as to which way we went, and he shouldn't know about this place." Gilbert explained, and gave Matthew a fast bath as well. Then he took him to the kitchen area, which was empty. There was, however, some food left out for them on the table. There were pancakes swamped in maple syrup and sausages.

After eating, Matthew assumed they would set off right away, but Gilbert took him back to another room. Gently nudging the door open, Matthew saw the large number of cats sitting inside. Hiding slightly behind his bigger friend, he followed him inside. The moment the two were spotted, all playing stopped, and all the cats began to stare at them. There was a happy squeal, and a fluffy cat came charging at Matthew. The poor cat was tackled to the floor, drawing a yelp from Matthew, and a growl from Gilbert.

"MatthewMatthewMatthew!" The furball purred, nuzzling Matt's fur.

"Francis?" Matthew purred back, happy to hear his voice. Francis had been his teacher, and he had honestly thought he'd never see him again. But here he was, and how happy he was. However, Gilbert's growl got louder, so Francis stepped away.

"Matthew, I'm so sorry I left you alone with that jackass. But I knew if I didn't eventually leave, no one would ever find you!" Francis had hated the way the young boy had been raised. It still made his blood boil. But now he was safely back with them. "I'm guessing no one had introduced you to everyone here yet, have they?" He asked, while circling the other cat, taking in how he looked.

"By the time we got here, he was so tired, he went right to bed." Gilbert butted in, glaring at his old friend. He was barely resisting the urge to swipe at the other cat. Francis just gave him an airy smile.

"Well, I suppose it's up to me to do it then!" Without waiting for a reply, he flounced over to the other cats. "This is Alfred, Arthur, Kiku, Ludwig, Feli, Yao..." On and on he went, pointing to each new cat with his overly fluffy tail. By the time he was done, Matthew's head was spinning, trying to remember all the names. He vaguely recognized a few, having glimpsed them on the window sills of his house, attempting to get in. One of the cats looked so similar to him, it was a tad frightening. The only thing different about them were their eyes and his silly curl. "Ah, yes, Alfred is your half-brother." Francis explained when he saw what Matthew was staring at. The look of shock he received sent him on a laughing spree.

Now that Matthew knew who he was, Alfred wasted no time in bounding towards his little brother, purring and attempting to play with him. Gilbert groaned. "Guess we aren't leaving today..."

~x~x~End Chapter 3~x~x~

Yay, I finished typing. I'm so tired right now. It's kinda uncool. But whatever. I bring this upon myself. Kinda. Whatever. I'm rambling. Oh, btw, my mommy's doctors say she's doing a lot better. The kidney's gotten smaller, and it's functioning better. Whoo! Is it bad that all I've eaten today is candy? Heh. Ooh, so for christmas, I'm totally making my daddy a scarf with our Scottish Tartan colors. It's gonna be awesome. Even if the colors aren't my favorites. Blue, Green, Red, and Yellow. It is soooo time for me to go to bed.


	5. Danger Keeps Lurking

I, am so so sorry it's taken me nearly a month to get this up. November has been pretty hectic, what with my mom getting her surgery done, my sister going to Kentucky for Thanksgiving, getting and creating Christmas presents and having to do a ton of housework. Plus my best friend broke up with her boyfriend, which meant she was hanging out with me more and more. Anyway, I'm actually restarting my social life. o.o kinda amazing, isn't it? If none of you knew, I'm kinda socially-retarded, and don't have an easy time making and keeping RL friends... But things are starting to look up for me, so yay!

**This announcement could be important to you :** _This story is very fast gaining popularity. So, I have a bit of a deal to make. One of my other stories has 61 reviews. My most, ever. So, to whoever becomes this stories 62nd reviewer, can ask me to do something for them. As long as you don't ask me to draw you something. Because I can't draw. Shameless whoring, I know. But I like getting reviews. And hopefully you all like me enough, or want something from me, to get me to my goal of getting more reviews._

This chapter is dedicated to **RokoNeko **because she begged me to update.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. NOTHING! -cries-

~x~x~Chapter 4~x~x~

After Gilbert made the choice to stay, Francis and Alfred took Matthew around to make personal introductions. Laying down with his brother again, the two watched as Matthew slowly began to open up. Ludwig winced at Feli's squeal over Matthew.

"What exactly is your game plan with him?" The gray cat asked, glancing over at his dazed brother. Gilbert had a fairly love sick look in his eyes as he stared at the smaller animal.

"Take him to our home, and hopefully have him fall in love with me." Was all Ludwig got from his brother. Huffing, the other prince rose and walked away to join his lover. When Francis notice that he was alone, he left Matthew with his brother to join the prince.

"Will you treat him well?" He finally asked, after a few minutes of silence.

"The very best that I can. He thought I was merely a cat, so he didn't put thought into more then friendship for me. But... I'm so very glad I decided to give him a chance... He is perfect." Gilbert focused solely on Francis, wanting to prove himself. Francis was the closets thing to a parent Matthew would have from now on

"Regardless of his being betrothed to you?" He asked with a harsh glare. Gilbert felt the fur on his tail fluff out in agitation.

"Yes, regardless of that." He hissed back, In truth, it was one of the reasons they had even attempted to rescue Matthew. It was only because of the many failed tries of his people that Gilbert himself had tried. They had all put so much into trying to get him, Gilbert needed to see if it was truly worth it. And he was indeed glad, because Matthew had been worth it, and was worth much more.

"Good. He deserves to be happy." Francis smiled before leaving Gilbert to rejoin Matthew. The white prince snorted before jumping on top of the rarely used couch to look out the window. What he saw had him reeling away with a yelp. Standing outside the house was Matthew's father, on his phone, quite obviously upset.

"Matthew! Your father is outside!" He yelled, nearly falling off the couch in his haste to get down. Every cat in the room paused, fearful.

"Get him to the attic! If that foolish man even comes in, he won't make it that far!" Francis called out, pushing Matthew towards the stairs.

"Feli, Arthur, go with him!" Ludwig ordered, and the two cats jumped into action, pushing a terrified Matthew with them. The rest of the cats scattered around the house. The only reason they didn't change into humans was because fighting naked left them slightly more vulnerable. It was also highly embarrassing. On the plus side, as cats, they had their claws as weapons. Most of the cats staying on the ground floor, hoping the man wouldn't make it anywhere near the stairs. In the attic, Arthur and Feliciano had their hands full, trying to keep Matthew from having a panic attack.

"Gilbert wont let anything happen to you. And none of the others will either. You're the prince's betrothed. It would be a harsh punishment if we did, and an honor to keep you safe." Arthur blurted out, not thinking. Wide purple eyes made him curse himself.

"Do you mean to say..." The shy cat trailed off, refusing to get his hopes up.

"Yes... One day you and Gilbert will be married, It was like an apology to your mother. An honor for both of you really." Arthur hated himself for letting it slip. He had heard Gilbert admit he hadn't told Matthew. The happy and dazed look on Matthew's face showed what he thought of the deal. "Don't let Gilbert know I told."

"I won't. So don't worry!" Matthew gave Arthur a look that promised he wouldn't. Feliciano gave the white cat a look of his own.

"So, what do you think about being betrothed to Gilbert?" He asked slyly, slinking up to Matthew, purring. If Matthew didn't have fur, his face would have glowed a bright red.

"I'm actually happy about it. I really really like him, and he saved me. I was so lonely I felt sure I had died." Matthew sighed, looking sadly at the stairs. "I don't want to go back to my father. Those two weeks I spent with Gilbert were some of the greatest times I've ever had. I know it wasn't that long, and Gilbert couldn't talk back... But I had finally found a friend, for just that purpose. At least that's what I thought at the time. And when he taught me to shift, he became so much more in my eyes." Matthew had never spoken so much, and never felt such a way before. But Gilbert had made such an impression on him, even as a wordless feline.

Both Arthur and Feli stared at the passionate cat. Neither had expected so much conviction from him. Just as Matthew never expected how lonely his life would seem before Gilbert. But now he felt so fresh and new - happy.

~x~x~x~x~x~

Gilbert was crouched down low, growling at the door. He hoped Matthew's father would just pass by the house. He wanted to keep the beautiful sweet boy forever. And losing him now would break his heart. Matthew hadn't really gotten to know him yet, and because of that, Gilbert couldn't let him go. There could be something so special, so amazing between them. Something beyond an arranged marriage. Keeping ruby eyes locked on the door, Gilbert focused his ears on the lookout by the window. He nearly jumped out of his fur when his brother came up behind him in a rather stealthy fashion.

"Do you really think he'll just storm in here?" Ludwig questioned, staring hard at the door, as if it would keep them safe. He could already see how much his brother cared for this cat, and didn't want anything to ruin his brother's happiness.

"I freakin' dare him. This piece of awesome will absolutely destroy his legs." The joke didn't amuse Ludwig, and Gilbert knew it without having to turn his eyes to his brother. "I'm sorry. I'm just a little worried the bastard will come in and take Matthew from me." The albino explained, hoping his brother would drop it. Luckily for him, he did. Ludwig stayed put, sticking by the front door with his brother. The whole house was silent, so when someone spoke loud enough to get most everyone's attention, cat's everywhere jumped.

"He left! He went away! It's safe." Romano cried out, nearly tripping over his paws in an attempt to reach Gilbert. By the time he got to him, Ludwig had already gone to inform the others.

"Thank you Romano." Gilbert nodded at him, ignoring the whispered insults he knew he wasn't supposed to hear. He knew that was just the way Romano was. Instead of giving back as good as he got, he bounded up the stairs, going straight for the attic. Pawing the door open, he stared at the the three cats inside. All three were cuddled together, Matthew and Feli were sleeping, while Arthur was staring at him. "He left."

The roll of Arthur's eyes told him his explanation was quite unneeded. However, it was clear why Arthur hadn't moved. Both of the cats were leaning on him in some way, trapping him. "Matthew...get up...your father left." Gilbert spoke softly, nudging the sleeping animal.

"Mm, you sure?" Matthew asked, barely opening his eyes. The pure white cat chuckled and reaffirmed his statement. The smaller cat got up and slowly made his way to Gilbert, nearly collapsing against him as he yawned and then started to purr. Holding his snicker in, he slowly led Matthew down the unstable stairway that led to the attic. On his way down, he passed by his brother, who was going up to get Feli.

"You should have seen it brother, Arthur was squished between Mattie and Feli. It was kinda cute." Gilbert laughed softly, before they parted once more, Ludwig going up to save Arthur, and Gilbert taking Matthew back to the room they had shared last night. Part of him couldn't believe Matthew was still tired, and yet the rest understood. Besides, he had a feeling they wouldn't be leaving until tomorrow anyway. Matthew needed to rest up, because this was the last safe house for a while.

~x~x~x~x~x~

"Must you go now?" Francis whined, standing in front of the door, blocking both cats from leaving.

"Yes Francis. We stayed yesterday for you, and now we have to leave!" Gilbert growled, getting ready to shove past their blockade. "When we get back to the kingdom, you two can chatter all you want. But the safest and smartest thing right now is to get a move on." He hoped the safety of Matthew would get the fluff ball to move. And it worked. The fluffy cat moved out of their way, watching sadly as the two slipped out the little cat door.

Matthew was starting to get excited again. Gilbert had told him that in less then a day, they would be leaving the city and heading into the wilderness.

"We hardly ever come out this far anymore. We used to, but in more recent times, we've had no need to. It's easier for us to stick closer to our home, Of course, we tend to shop a lot in the towns closer to us..." Gilbert hated silence, and he hated it even more between him and Matthew.

"Are there a lot of our kind?" Matthew questioned, before squeaking as he was picked up by a young child. His companion stopped and laughed as the kid fussed over Matthew. The mother gave a soft smile before taking Matthew away and setting him back down by Gilbert.

"There are a fair number of us. The royal courts stay at the castle, while the 'common' people stray. Most live close by though. Not all cats can turn human, but almost all cats regard us as their leaders. It amazes me sometimes that regular humans are blind to us. They think of us as dumb little animals. Oh, if only they knew." Gil snickered, leading Matthew farther and farther away from his old home and life. They eventually made it a large tree line. "From here, we'll travel through the woods, through some more towns, and I won't lie, it's not gonna be easy. The good news, is that in quite a few towns, there are houses for us to stop at." All Gilbert got in reply was a nod. Matthew was staring at the town they were leaving behind.

Not that he would tell his friend, but he was afraid. The thought of going on into the unknown terrified him. But the thought of being left behind, and being without Gilbert terrified him even more. So, he steeled himself and turned his tail to the buildings.

"Let's go." He said stiffly, ignoring the concerned look thrown his way. As they walked between the trees, and time passed, Gilbert saw the other cat slowly relax. When his tail began to twitch as he stared at his surroundings, the prince let himself relax as well. "So...Tell me about your scar?" Matthew asked, curious of how a prince could receive such a wound.

"Well, it's silly. Really it is." Gilbert was embarrassed, but Matthew smiled at him, encouraging him on. "There used to be a lot of other clans around the world. A princess of sorts came to visit us a while back, and very obviously made her intentions known. She wanted to unite our two clans, and to do so, she needed to marry me. I tried to be subtle in my attempts to let her down. Eventually I flat out told her no, and she was so angry. She got in a few good swipes at me, before going for my eye. I was lucky I closed my eyes, or she would have blinded me in one eye... Though if anyone asks you, say I got in a fight with a large dog." Gilbert explained, chuckling in embarrassment.

It took all Matthew had in him not to laugh. But it also brought another question to mind. "How old are you?" He finally asked, once he was sure he wouldn't laugh if he opened his mouth.

"Well... it's complicated. I stopped counting after a hundred. That wasn't long ago though. But you see, when we shift into cats, our human bodies stop aging. I never really cared enough about it to listen to why, or how it works. But, someone could be fifty, and still look ten. Surprisingly, not many actually want to delay their aging process, and spend most of their lives as humans. Technically someone could live forever." Casting a quick look at Matthew, Gilbert had to hold back his own laughter. Although Matthew kept walking, it was obvious he was shocked.

"Why?" Was all Matthew could think to ask.

"No one knows why we can do it. Some theorize it's self-preservation. Our species has a hard time conceiving children, and this gives us the time to do so. Many people won't age past thirty if they haven't had a child yet." The smaller cat was still soaking in the news, amazed, when they settled down for the night. As the two cuddled up for sleep, Matthew asked his last question.

"How old was my mother?"

"About two hundred." Came the sleepy answer.

~x~x~x~x~x~

"I'm very sorry sir." A man dressed in black mumbled, doubled over, afraid to look up.

"Sorry? You tell me you're sorry, after telling me I couldn't enter the house my son was likely in?" Matthew's father roared. A hand landed on his shoulder, attempting to keep him calm.

"Keep your cool Ray. You could have been jailed for breaking into that house. Especially for a boy who doesn't even exist to the government. We will find Matthew, but we have to be careful. Those stupid cats would have every right to demand our government hand you over to them, which our government would do. And they would probably try you, and execute you." The man behind Ray soothed him, hoping to avert a disaster. The shoulder under his hand slumped a bit, and Ray growled.

"Leave me be!" The loud voice made the employee jump.

'Yes Mr. Williams." The man forced out, before taking off, happy to escape.

"We have to take this slowly and easy. You think I want that fool of a prince to get Matthew?" The mystery man asked, darkness coloring his voice.

"I know Master. But I want my son back so badly." The sitting man whined.

"Hush now. We'll get him back. Just watch." He laughed, sending a shiver down Ray's spine. Sometimes his Master frightened even him.

~x~x~End Chapter 4~x~x~

I don't like this chapter. In fact, I think I hate it. I like the ending. And that's about it.

Anyway, oh my! There is a new villain in town! And Mattie's dad finally has a name. A stupid name, but still a name.

Reviews make my Gloomy little Days so much brighter. Won't you turn on a light for me? :)


	6. The Fun Never Stops

Ahh... I'm so very sorry it's taken me what feels like years to get this chapter up. I know it's not a good excuse, but my life has actually gotten less...anti-social I suppose. And I started my homeschooling thing... In fact, I'm blowing my homework off right now to do this. :] and it's due tomorrow. I'm awesome, aren't I? Anyway, how was Christmas for you guys? Mine was pretty awesome, excluding the fact that I had to wrap almost everything. I got a DS lite, and a remote control helicopter. Annd, how was your New Years? Mine was amazing. Mostly because it was my birthday but...hehe. I'm now 19. My dad actually came to see me, and he bought me almost $100 worth of books. I is a happy girl about that.\

Remember kids, whoever gets the 62nd review gets to ask me to write them something. Or I suppose you could ask for anything...but I'm reallyreally bad at drawing...

This chapter is dedicated to GermanKitties of DeviantArt, Electric Plum of FanFiction, and Person of Anonymous Land. Thank them for reminding me that I have a story to do ^^

Now...READ FOOLS! You've been waiting long enough

~x~x~Chapter 5~x~x~

The next dawn, Matthew didn't say much, just sat there, in thought while Gilbert tracked down breakfast. The younger cat still wasn't talking by the time Gilbert came back with a bloody bird in his mouth. Gilbert tried talking to him, but Matthew didn't even twitch.

"Okay, what the hell is your issue?" Gilbert grabbed Matthew's ear with his teeth when he still hadn't answered. He had to jump out of the way fast as the other cat nearly scratched at him in reflex.

"I'm so sorry!" The smaller squeaked out when he realized who he had taken a swipe at. Red eyes glared back at him.

"Seriously kid? Now you have to tell me what the fuck is wrong." Matthew looked away from his friend, sadness creeping up in his eyes.

"I was thinking about my mom. How I accidently murderer someone who was over two hundred. A new born was able to destroy 200 years of life." Staring at his paws, he tried to keep his tears from falling. Feeling a tail brush against his side, and then a larger body pushing against his made him look up. Gilbert was staring at the rising sun.

"You didn't murder your mother, accidentally or otherwise. You didn't destroy her. Shit like that happens, age doesn't make a difference. The fact that she died isn't your fault or hers. Life just kinda sucks sometimes.." Gilbert didn't look at Matthew the whole time he spoke. He had spent time with Sam during the pregnancy and it wasn't good. For the first few months, she had been fine, but after that, she had been so sick. It was hard to look at her, towards the end, because her life had just been drained so much. It seemed like the once vibrant woman had just give up on life, and only kept going for Matthew.

"I just feel bad. She lost her life when she was giving me mine." Matthew pushed up close to Gilbert, and began to paw at the bird. "...Do you really expect me to eat that?" He asked, nose wrinkling. It successfully broke the tension among the two animals, making Gilbert snicker. He pawed at it as well, and while he was proud of his catch, it didn't look too appetizing to him either.

"I realize how disgusting it seems, but it's the best I can do for now..." After giving the younger cat a quick swipe of his tongue, the two cats started eating. Pretty soon, there was a mess of feathers floating around and two disgusted cats.

"There was so much blood." Matthew whimpered, trying to keep the meat in his stomach from rising.

"Feathers are gross. After this I may never eat poultry again.." They cleaned up the blood they'd gotten all over as best they could before they left. As they were walking, Gilbert tried explaining their heritage to Matthew more in-depth.

"I suppose the easiest way to put this, is while apes were evolving into humans, cats began to evolve like us. I'm pretty sure they were evolving as humans did, and our best guess is a virus or mutation caused them to revert slightly and that somewhere along the way, they were able to shift." Gilbert wasn't very scientifically minded, and he never really cared for what new discovery of their kind added to history. However, Matthew was listening carefully, soaking up the information. It excited him, thinking of how much he could learn.

"Were we always such small cats?" He asked, turning his head towards Gilbert.

"No, not every cat was small. Some were very large. Dunno why we didn't stay big... Would have been a lot more awesome." The albino mumbled, clearly not too happy about it.

"I don't mind being small... It makes me feel safer." Matthew nodded his head happily, reigning in the urge to start skipping. Rolling his eyes, Gilbert stopped them and announced he was going to go look for lunch. Matthew looked at him nervously.

"I know it's disgusting, but we have to eat." Gilbert wandered off, leaving Matthew alone. He curled up in a patch of sunlight, and sighed. He lied there for a few seconds before he felt eyes watching him. The fur on his tail began to fluff out, and he was nearly ready to panic. When a paw came down on his stomach, he jumped and turned, a growl spilling from his throat.

"I'd feel offended, if I wasn't impressed." Francis's voice floated over Matthew like a warm blanket, and he settled down a bit.

"What are you doing here?" The young cat was confused.

"Well, you know all those people you met the other day? Yeah, their all here. We've been 'silently' keeping you two safe. All of us are somewhere in these woods, keeping an eye on you two in case there is trouble." Francis explained, nuzzling Matthew. He'd missed the child he'd helped raise. He had come to see the young one as his son. "I can't stay. But just know nothing will happen to you." And with that said, Francis disappeared into the trees. Gilbert showed up a minute later, dragging a large rabbit with him. He dropped it with a huff and nearly laughed at the horror on Matthew's face.

"I'm sorry, but it was either this or another bird." He explained, nudging Matthew towards it.

"Blergh."

~x~x~x~x~x~

That night, the two cats curled up together, ready to sleep after such a long day.

"Matthew... There's something else I have to tell you..." Gilbert slowly said, butterflies filling his stomach.

"Mm?" The sleepy sound came from Matthew, as he turned his attention to the prince.

"You're, uh, well... Technically you see... Hm... One day we have to get married." Never had the albino been so flustered or at a loss for words.

"..." Although it was true he already knew, it was still a little shocking to hear it from Gilbert. The pure white cat had his eyes closed tightly, praying Matthew wouldn't freak out on him. "Gilbert... I like you. Like a lot. I think maybe I love you. I know one day I could definitely love you. But I'm not ready yet. This is so new to me. I've never been in love. I've only ever read about it. " Matthew explained, hoping the prince would understand.

"That's fine! I don't mind, at all. I just thought you should know." The relieved cat spoke. And even though, technically his brother and Feli had told him he needed to tell Matthew as soon as possible, he didn't mention it to Matthew. After whispering their goodnights, the two fell asleep..

~x~x~x~x~x~

Days continued in the pattern of dead, bloody animals for meals, and history and entertaining stories being told to Matthew.

"So, the little girl squealed and picked Ludwig up. She nearly toppled over because he's a large cat. Almost as big as her. Toddling over to her father, she asked if she could keep the pretty kitty. Lucky for Ludwig they already had a cat, so he said no. My brother was so horrified. He won't let people pet him anymore." Matthew was giggling, unable to erase the image of such an intimidating cat like Ludwig being forced into a bonnet. When the two heard a faint hissing from the tree's, they burst into more laughter.

"When will we be at the next town?" Matthew questioned, as he was a little tired of having to sleep outside. Rarely leaving your home kinda did that to a person. Gilbert made noise that Matthew took to mean he was thinking.

"Depending on how fast we go, either today or tomorrow." He finally answered." We'll preferably stay there for a few days. It's one of our more used safe house, so it has clothes and such, so we can stretch our human legs. Honestly, I'm surprised you've gone this long without having to change. You're a strong one." Gilbert told him, nudging Matthew gently.

:"How do you figure?" He asked, nudging back.

"Well, not many could have just learned to change, and the spend so long without shifting back. Only someone strong could do that." The smaller cat was shocked. Him, strong? Even he realized now how weak he really was. Circumstances had made him that way, sure, but still. If he were strong, he could escaped his fathers home on his own. And he told Gilbert that.

"Psh, please. You survived the best you could. Not many people could have the will to leave, like you did. You left behind the safety of your home to come with a stranger. You're very strong. Or crazy. But we'll just say strong. Sounds better." Gilbert grinned as best he could, flashing off his teeth. Matthew started to look offended, but in the end, he just giggled.

"Gee Gilbert, you certainly know how to woo someone." An amused female voice spoke, scaring both felines. Gilbert growled and turned in a circle.

"Where are you?" He hissed, eyes flicking to the sides. A beautiful cat jumped down the from the tree, and Gilbert stared in shock for a moment before hissing again.

"I see you remember me." She laughed.

"You're bitch. Of course I couldn't forget you!" Matthew was confused, and the female noticed that.

"Hm... Poor little kitty." She purred walking around Matthew dragging her black tail along his body. "Hasn't dear Gilbert told here told you about his lovely little scar?" She asked, laughing as Matthew attempted to avoid her tail.

"You're the awful girl who nearly clawed his eye out?" The young cat asked, horrified. He couldn't comprehend how proud she seemed of it.

"Tsktsk, it's awfully rude to call me names little boy. Respect your elders!" She growled, snapping her teeth at him. Gilbert broke between the two when he saw that.

"What do you want, brat?" He growled, keeping his eyes trained on her. She moved around the two cats, chuckling to herself.

"Now that you've seen your little 'bride' over there, I'm here to offer myself again." She settled herself, staring at Gilbert with nearly hypnotic orange eyes. Matthew knew he didn't really hold a candle to this type of beauty, and began to feel heat prickle his body in shame.

"...Really? You think you look better then Matthew? Not really. Sorry." The pure white cat feigned a yawn, holding his paw to is mouth to hide his smirk.

"But we look so good together! My lovely black against your white looks amazing!" She said, staring Gilbert down.

"So? Matthew looks way better then you. And he's sweeter then your fake ass." Gilbert growled. She hissed back in response.

"Fine then! If you like him so much, you two can have matching scars!" She ran at Matthew, but before she got close to him, a furry blur knocked her down. Alfred, Francis, and Ludwig were all on top of her, nearly crushing her bones. Gilbert and Matthew sweat dropped and gave a weak laugh. "Jerks." The cat under the three heavy cats wheezed out.

~x~x~x~x~x~

By the time the sun set, most of the young court was curled up in a tiny clearing. After they had tackled Priscilla to the ground, the three cats had realized what they had done and looked guilty at Gilbert. Said cat had just sighed and shook his head.

"Hey Mattie, you're not mad at me for not telling you, are you?" Gilbert asked, looking at the cat curled up next to him.

"Of course not! I just don't understand why you didn't tell me they were out there." Matthew snuggled closer to Gilbert, partially for warmth, and partly to show he wasn't mad..

"Well, at first I didn't want you to feel awkward or focus on the fact there were others watching us... and then it seemed like you knew...but I still didn't want to say anything in case you didn't." Gilbert explained.

"Ahh... I completely understand. And yes, I did figure it out." Matthew giggled softly, and soon afterwards, the two fell asleep. By the time all the felines were awake, the sun had barely broken passed the horizon.

"Do we dare catch our own food... or wait the hour it'll take us to get to the safe house?" Someone questioned, which lead to a moment of thought.

"I'm willing to wait." Gilbert didn't feel like eating something so bloody again for a while. Nods quickly followed his words, and then they were off. They were all running, wanting to comfort of four walls around them.

"STOP!" A cat came rushing at them screeching. "His father has set up what seems to be a blockade into town!"

~x~x~End Chapter 5~x~x~

My back...is killing me. It hurts so so bad. I got a cramp in the shower earlier, and now I'm in such pain. ;.; someone make it stop...

I'm not the fondest of this chapter. I'm trying to so hard to make it come out good...and I think I'm just messing it up. I dunno... Not much seems to be happening yet. But, I promise you, almost everything has some kind of point.

Reviews make my gloomy days all the more brighter! Pretty soon, they won't be gloomy at all, thanks to you guys *heart*


	7. Snatched Away

Well, I'd like to start this off by saying I'm so freakin' sorry. I understand if any of you are mad at me. But, in another way, I'm not sorry. You see, I was a senior this year, and well, I really wanted to graduate. And guess what guys? I DID! Ahaha, it might not seem like a big thing to some of you, but I went through a lot of bullshit to get here. These past few months have been the most stressful of my life so far. It was terrible. I had headaches, I was crying a lot, I thought I wasn't going to graduate...But I did it. I really did it. It's amazing.

Thank you to everyone who hasn't given up on this story yet! I love you all!

This is dedicated to GermanKitties over at DA, for being a constant reminder of this story.

Also, it's dedicated to my lovely Raven, who made me fanart for this story! I literally flipped out when I saw that, and for days afterwards, I floated on cloud nine xD

Forgive any stupid mistakes I may have made. It's reallyreally late...and I'm really tired aha...

Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia. Really, and honestly, I don't.

~x~x~x~Chapter 6~x~x~x~

"What do you mean?" Gilbert growled, rubbing his forehead where he had smacked it against a tree when he'd tried to stop.

"There are a bunch of black cars lining the street and his father is standing out there, just staring at the trees. It's actually really creepy." The cat informed them, keeping his eyes averted. The rest of the cats stared at the one who'd stopped them. Matthew turned a worried look up at Gilbert, causing the white cat to sigh.

"Anyone got any ideas?" He asked the felines gathered around him. There were a few mummers, but no one said anything. "Well, we better think of something soon, or we're going to be feasting on bloody animals again!" Gilbert growled and stared at all the cats surrounding him and Matthew. Loud whispers broke out in a more rapid pace than before, and soon Alfred stepped up.

"Me and Mattie kinda look alike... So, I can probably trick them long enough for him to get through." Alfred suggested, sitting next to his brother. Everyone stopped talking for a moment, and looked at the two of them. When looked at quickly, the two did look eerily similar. But when they were stared at, they were easy to tell apart. Matthew looked up at his brother with gratitude shining in his eyes.

"Thank you Alfred." The younger cat leaned into his brother's side and began to purr. The bigger cat purred back and licked his brother's ear. Gilbert had to stop himself from interrupting their moment, shoving back his jealousy by reminding himself that the two were brothers. His own brother trotted up alongside him and looked at the pair as well before shifting his gaze onto to the snowy cat.

"We should survey the area where his father is before making a definite plan." Gil looked at his brother for a second before giving a miniscule nod. He turned his attention back onto Matthew afterward, and just watched him.

~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~

"From what we can tell, they lined up most of the treeline, but there is an area where Matthew can get through without being seen." Ludwig told his brother, who nodded a little, thinking to himself. Her jerked his head to the side, signalling to his brother that he wished to speak privately. The two stepped away and Gilbert sighed a little.

"His father knows what I look like. So, I think it would be a good idea for me, Francis, and Alfred to run out from the trees, while Matthew, Feli, Arthur and Kiku go through the hole in their security. I want you up hide up in the trees by them, and everyone else scattered around to keep an eye on things." Ludwig looked at his brother with concern.

"Are you sure it's wise to send those three with him?" He questioned. He knew Arthur and Kiku weren't exactly weak and helpless, But Feliciano wasn't really known for his bravery and strength.

"They are all fairly small cats, and there is more safety with a larger number. Feli is good at running and hiding. And I believe he would do his best to keep Matthew safe." The older of the two defended his decision, before leaving his brother to gather the rest of the cats to fill them in.

~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~

By the time they were all set up, the sun was just starting to sink. Surprisingly, Matthew's father didn't budge all day, despite the weary looking men around him. Matthew and his group were fairly far away from Gilbert and his entourage, but in between the two groups were many cats, all keeping a careful eye on what was about to go down.

"The moment they make their move, we have to go." Arthur whispered to the felines around him. He was the closest to the street, and was able to see everything. After a few moments, a commotion broke out down the street, and all the humans near them began running towards the noise.

"Now!" Arthur hissed , and the group of four took off at a fast pace, however still trying to be careful. They quickly reached the other side of the street, and a small sense of triumph filled them. But, before they could reach the safety of the shadows, they were all scooped up in a large net, which was the twisted so their only escape was blocked. Surprised yowls came from inside the net, and whoever had caught them laughed. The four captured cats could hear the surprised and angry cries from the other cats before they were roughly tossed inside a car, and the noise was blocked. None of them spoke for a while, as they tried to untangle themselves from one another. Eventually they got straightened out, but they still kept silent, until Matthew began to sniffle.

"I'm so sorry. This is all my fault. If it weren't for me, none of this would have happened." Matthew hid his face in his paws and tried not to cy. The other three cats were shocked that he felt that way.

"No, nonono! Matthew, this is not your fault. These were the risks that came with helping you, and we all knew that. We'll get out of this mess, you'll see!" Feliciano was surprising the first one to comfort Matthew, cuddling into his side and purring at the distraught cat. Quickly, Arthur and Kiku began to comfort him as well. For a long while afterwards, it was quiet, and the four cats began to fall asleep. But a car door opening broke their drowsiness, and soon after the door closed.

"I guess I'm not the only one who caught cats... Son of a bitch! One of you better be the cat he's looking for. Or I'm going to kill all of you." A clearly agitated male spoke, and started the car. Matthew let out a sigh, it was going to be a long night.

~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~

After an hour of driving, Matthew and Feli were sleeping. Arthur and Kiku were trying to find a way out of the bag they were trapped in, but they weren't having much luck.

"I can normally rip apart fabric, but this stuff is strong." Arthur was beginning to lose patience with their situation. Their captor had knotted the only opening, and they were barely able to create small holes in the netting.

"It has probably been created specifically so animals cannot rip it apart easily." Kiku sighed and laid down in front of the other two cats.

"We can't just give up though!" The agitated cat hissed, his tail snapping back in forth, anger apparent in his voice.

"Would you little shits quiet down? I'm tired of hearing your stupid noises!" The man who had caught them yelled out, slamming on the brakes, which sent the entire bag to the floor, and causing the metal part of the net to smack into the cats. This woke up the two previously sleeping cats, and they both yowled in fear, before the other two soothed them.

"These stupid cats better be worth all this crap. Boss finally fucking lost his mind. 'Catch those damn cats' he says. If he wanted a freakin' cat, couldn't he have just bought one?" The man driving bitched and complained for the rest of the car ride, not caring that his chargers were now cramped on the floor of the car..

~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~

By the time the car stopped all four cats were curled up into a large ball, sleeping. They woke up when they were roughly yanked into the front seat with the man, who didn't care they were being smacked into the seat.

"One of you better be the right one!" He hissed at them one last time before exiting the car with his net in tow. The felines attempted to stay as still as they could so that they didn't hurt each other. Unfortunately, the small space had gotten even smaller when they'd been pulled up, and there wasn't enough room for them to all have space.

"Ow! Kiku, please be more careful!" Feliciano whined, wincing as his friend nearly fell off his back, which had instinctively brought out his claws.

"I apologize Feliciano..." Kiku tried to still himself, not wanting to injure his friend. Matthew, on the other hand was halfway on top of Arthur, was doing his best not to panic even more at the situation they'd gotten into.

"I wonder who else was caught..." MAtthew mumbled, feeling a little selfish that he hoped it was Gilbert.

"I'm not sure. I'd guess Alfred Francis, and Gilbert. They were our distraction after all." Arthur answered, holding in in a hiss when Matthew accidentally dug his claws into Arthurs side. All The cat mewed in pain as they were dropped on the to the floor, and when they quieted down, they heard a chuckle. They were suddenly assaulted by a bright light, and the slamming of a door. None of the cats dared to move, afraid of what may lie beyond the bag they'd been forced into. In less than a minute however, they witnessed a ball of white forcing it's way into the net.

"Matthew?" A frantic voice called out, sniffing at them.

"Gilbert!" Matthew shot off of Arthur and nearly headbutted the prince. Gilbert quickly backed out of the bag, and Matthew followed, soon joined by the rest of his escort. Matthew took a quick look around, and found there were five other cats that had been captured. He wasn't surprised to see Gilbert, Francis, or Alfred, but he was a little shocked to see Ludwig, and a cat he could barely remember meeting that day he'd been at the safe house. Feli let out a happy meow, and nearly knocked Ludwig over when he ran to him.

"Luddy! Why are you here?" The happy cat purred, rubbing against the large cat's side. Ludwig looked away and coughed.

"Well, Feli, when he saw whoever it was capture you guys, he jumped from his tree and tried to attack the man. The same thing happened with Herakles." Gilbert filled them in, laughing. Matthew noticed that Kiku looked away bashfully at the story. The group was silent for a moment, before Matthew broke it.

"Gil...How are we going to get out of here?" He questioned, and noticed that most of the other cats stiffened at the question.

"I'm not sure Mattie..."

~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~

After several failed attempts at getting out, the nine cats curled up together in the corner that was farthest from the door. They all were tired, hungry, and thirsty. They were stuck waiting for their doom for another hour before the door clicked open. Immediately all the cats were on their feet, and their fur began to fluff out in anger.

"Ahh, Matthew! I'm glad that you were caught before you got too far away." Ray said, coming into the room, followed by a group of men, all in black suits. The door shut behind them, and Ray began to walk towards the cats, holding his hands behind his back. As he came closer, most of the cats growled, while the rest hissed. "Ah ah ah, bad kitties!" He pulled his hands from behind his back, showing off a large cane. The noise from the cat increased as he pushed most of them aside, and grabbed his son. He received quite a few scratches and bites for his effort, but he pulled away from the group, holding Matthew by the scruff of his neck. The young cat began to whine, but Ray paid him no mind. Walking to the door, his men kept the other cats at bay. As they all retreated into the hallway, Matthew's father began walking away.

"Have James come to my office." He called over his shoulder.

~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~

A few minutes later, Matthew found himself forcefully being held in his fathers lap, when there was a soft knock on the door.

"Come in!" Ray called, harshly petting his son, who mewled in discomfort. In walked a young man who looked nervous.

"You wanted to see me Sir?" Matthew recognized the voice, instantly knowing this was the man who had caught him.

"Yes. For such a job well done, I'm giving you a reward. You are moving very far up in rank young man." The older man joyously told him.

"Over catching a cat Sir?" James asked, confused. Ray just chuckled, looking down at Matthew.

"Not just a cat James. My son." The young man looked startled, horrified, and confused. at the same time. As Ray began to tell him the short version of his side of the story, James began to look more horrified than anything. Taking a quick glance at the cat who was resting in his bosses lap, he felt regret course through him. The small feline was staring at him with sad, watery eyes.

'What have I done?'

~x~x~x~End Chapter 6~x~x~x~

Haaaa, I hope you've enjoyed the newest chapter of my story :3 I know it's probably crap and all, but...yay anyway! After this goes up, I'm going to curl up on my bed, and hopefully soothe my aching back. I love you all!

Reviews make my gloomy days shine...So be my sun :)


	8. Come Find Me

Hey everyone! I hope you're all doing well ^^

Me? Why of course I am. Except for the fact that I'm ready to literally bite off the fingers of anyone who comes within two feet of me. I'm partly joking. I have been so stressed these past few weeks... Like, I'm taking driving lessons... And I almost hit a car during my first lesson. Yeah, I'm awesome. Someone, hand me your keys! Anywho, this is my longest chapter yet.

In happier news, my grad party is slowly creeping up on me :3 I can't wait, because it's going to be fantastic. My sister keeps teasing me about this supposidly super awesome gift she's getting for me...

And on a note I'm sure you'll all love, the request from my 62nd reviewer was some PruCan Smut :3

And here be it's link! : yourfanfiction / viewuser . php?uid=4907 (of course you'll need to remove a few spaces)

Enjoy...

I don't own Hetalia. Nor do I make money off of this story

~x~x~Chapter 7~x~x~

After Ray had excused the still horrified James, he looked down at his son.

"Oh Matthew. I went through hell to get you back. I'm not sure what lies you've already been fed..." The man sighed and tugged on Matthew's ear, making the cat yelp. Setting the cat on the floor, he gave him a little disappointed glare. "I have work to do. Be a good boy, and stay right here for daddy, okay?" Ray gave him a look, before grabbing a file from his desk.

Matthew slowly crept to the partially open door, sneaking quick glances at his father. As he attempted to judge if he could fit through the space, his mind wandered to his probably still trapped friends.

"Please let them be safe." He whispered before slipping out the door.

~x~x~x~x~x~

Gilbert growled as he rammed into the door again, trying his damn best to bust it down.

"Stop it! You are not helping things by giving yourself brain damage!" Arthur finally yelled out, having gotten sick of Gilbert trying to break the door down.

"Arthur's right. We have to figure some other way out." Ludwig agreed, curling up tighter to a crying Feliciano.

"Oh yeah? Give me a better fucking idea then. We're stuck in a windowless room, and there is no god damn knob on the door!" Gilbert hissed out, glaring at the group of cats around him.

"Dude, let the hero give it a go!" Alfred said, grinning, and getting up from cuddling Arthur.

"Alfred! Don't you dare!" The white and orange cat hissed, getting up as well. Alfred ignored him however, going to stand at the other end of the room, before he began to run towards the door. The gathered cats watched in horror and fascination as he slammed his body into the wood. When he shakily wobbled away from it, they stared in awe at the crack going up the center of the door. The large cat plopped down, dazed but happy.

""See? I knew a hero could do it."

~x~x~x~x~x~

A little over an hour later, the eight cats had all but given up on escape. They were currently using the net that had been left behind as a bed. Each of them were trapped in their minds with a feeling of guilt and hopelessness. Just as they began to fall asleep, they heard loud talking outside their prison. Slowly they all stood up and stared as the door opened.

"Yeah, he got the one he wanted. He has no use for these ones anymore." A faceless voice called out. Arthur, Feli, and Kiku all stiffened, and began to growl. They recognized that voice. The others gave them a semi-confused look, but they all stiffened at the words as well. A young man walked into the room and swiftly closed the door. He rested against the back of the door for a moment and began to shake. This did nothing to calm the nerves of the cats. After a few moments, he straightened up and looked at them. Shockingly enough, his face was wet and his eyes puffy and pink.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't know that you were... I don't even know. But I'm sorry! All I knew was that you were cats! I don't know why the boss's kid ran away. I don't understand anything, other then the cat he claimed was his son looked terrified and miserable. And I want to help! I really do. I'm sure none of you trust me... But I'm really your only hope of getting out of here." The young man had started pacing when he began to to talk, and had ended up on his knees in front of the cats. They warily glanced at him before backing away.

"Should we believe him?" Gilvert hissed, glaring at the man.

"Absolutely not! He caught us and threatened to kill us!" Arthur nearly had a fit, refusing to believe that horrible human. Most of the others agreed, and were surprised when a fairly sleepy voice rose over theirs.

"We really have no choice. What this man said is true. Matthew's father will have no use for us now that he got what he wanted. Our best chance is to go with him." Everyone's eyes swiveled towards a white and brown cat.

"Herakles... What's to say he won't just tie us up a in a bag and toss us in a river?" Francis argued, and everyone but Gilbert agreed with him.

"Herakles is right." The short-haired white cat shut the rest up as he spoke. "This is our only chance. We have to take it. Even if he's lying, we may be able to free ourselves. But this could also be the real deal. There is about a fifty percent chance he's being truthful. And right now, that sounds damn fantastic." Gilbert didn't give the rest any time to answer, he just strolled up to their only escape and sat at his feet. And within a few minutes, the rest joined him.

James gave them a tiny smile before grabbing the net he'd already had to use once.

"I regret having to to do this, but I need you all to get in here..." he informed them, and slowly they all got inside, throwing him a few distrustful glances. James sighed and carefully picked the bag up. Within seconds they all began to squirm. "I realize it can't be too comfortable in there, but this is the only way to get you out of here."

James carefully gripped the net tighter, making sure not to drop it before knocking on the door. It swung open, and he casually walked out, praying he didn't look suspicious. When no one said anything, he let out a sigh and turned the corner. After making sure he was alone, he slowly opened a door to his left and quickly entered, before locking it. "I really hope this works."

~x~x~x~x~x~

Matthew whimpered as more men walked by his tiny hiding space. He'd very quickly discovered that there weren't many places to hide within the building.

"Why did he have to light up the halls so well?" The young cat asked himself, peaking out of the cramped alcove he'd shoved himself into. He was too terrified to leave his hiding place, worried he wouldn't be able to find a new space to hide. "Someone come find me.. Please." Matthew whimpered again, shaking in his spot.

~x~x~x~x~x~

James sighed and let the cats out of the bag(aha :D) before turning on the light. Immediately the cats noticed a bunch of cleaning carts. James chuckled at their obvious curiosity.

"For whatever reason, the boss demands every building he uses be staffed with a discrete crew of janitors. He can't stand any dirty buildings. Refuses to step foot in them." The red-haired man explained. "I've told all the janitors who were working tonight that they'd been asked to leave for the night, and to not ask any questions." As he started to gather uniforms up for them, a discussion began as to who would turn human.

"Ray knows what me and Ludwig look like. And he's obviously met Francis. Alfred looks like a lot like Matthew..." Gilbert turned his eyes to the other four cats.

"So, lets split into teams of two. I'll go with Kiku, Alfred can go with Arthur, Ludwig can go with Feli, and you can go with Herakles." Francis said after a few minutes of silent thinking. Everyone nodded their heads in agreement. Arthur was surprisingly the first to move towards James, considering he still didn't trust the man. Feliciano joined him next, quickly followed by Kiku and Herakles. They all hid behind carts as they changed, swiftly putting on their uniforms. Luckily for them, the uniforms included hats.

"My tail feels all squished!" Feliciano whined as Arthur helped him tuck it his shirt.

"And you think mine doesn't? Belt up. We are doing this for Matthew!" Arthur growled, trying to keep his tail from twitching. Feliciano perked up, knowing he had to do this best for his new friend.

"You'll still have to be careful... I'm pretty sure Matthew is still with the boss." James fiddled with his fingers, keeping his head down.

"Matthew was rescued once, and I'm sure we can find him again." kiku assured the man, grabbing a cart. As the others did as well, the still felines found places in the carts they could hid. Before the could even unlock the door though, they heard loud yelling from an unknown distance. They gave each other quick looks before hurrying out.

"After an hour, everyone should meet back here." Kiku spoke softly, and received nods from the humans. And with that Kiku, Herakles, and James went right, while Arthur and Feli went left.

~x~x~x~x~x~

Feliciano and Arthur hit a crossroads of sorts. The building had gone eerily silent after the yell, and both of them were reluctant to part. However, Arthur motioned that he was going to go right. The auburn haired man nodded and turned his cart to the left.

The farther away from the he got from Arthur, the more Feli wanted to run away from the building. However, he heard a meow from ludwig and smile flashed across his face. At least he wasn't alone. At least he had the love of his life with him. All Matthew had was his awful father.

"Ve... Don't worry Mattie... We're coming." Feli whispered, and pushed on. He stopped at every door, and both him and Ludwig listened carefully for any signs of the young cat. As they went farther down the hall, Feli began to get a bad feeling. Just as he stopped at another door, one down the hall slammed open, and he watched as Matthew's father came storming out, followed by quite a few men.

"Tear the fucking building upside down you have to! Find Matthew! Find him now!" The obviously irritated man screamed and sent his men scattering in different directions. Feliciano was frozen in shock, panic gnawing at his veins. The panic grew when Ray turned to look at him and glared. "Get back to work! And if you find a cat, let me know!" Bellowing at the terrified man, Ray glared again before going back in his office, slamming the door. Letting out a harsh breath, Feli shook away his fear. At least now he knew Matthew wasn't with his father, but somewhere probably hiding. He just hoped that one of them would find him before any of Ray's men did.

~x~x~x~x~x~

Men kept running past his hiding spot, which made Matthew try to press himself even further in the alcove. He had heard his father's angry shriek, so he knew it was only a matter of time before he was found. Every time he went to get out of his hiding spot, he heard footsteps, which sent him reeling back in.

"What am I supposed to do?" Matthew whispered as he slowly crept forward again. Before he could even peak around the corner though he heard footsteps, and squeaking wheels. However before he could move away, he heard someone talk.

"I wonder where he could be... I hope he isn't trying to find us..." He knew that voice. But just to be on the safe side, he decided to let out a small meow.

"Hello?" He mewed softly, and heard the footsteps and wheels stop.

"Matthew?" He heard both an answering meow and a human call his name. Letting out a small sigh, he felt relief creep through him.

"I'm here. In this alcove.." Matthew wondered if cats turned human were able to understand those who were still cats, but didn't have time to dwell on it, when a cleaning cart blocked his view, and he was able to see a shocked Ludwig.

Carefully climbing up next to the larger cat, he pushed up against the grey furred one and started purring. Ludwig stiffened a little bit, but didn't push the younger cat away. With a jolt, the cart started to roll forward, and Matthew watched from his place against Ludwig as the floor went by them. They kept a good pace, until for reason unknown to the cats, Feliciano slowed down.

"Hey kid! Get out of the damn hallway. We're in the middle of something here!" They heard an angry voice call out, and Feli's weak apology.

The large cat began to stiffen up even more, but stayed where he was, to Matthew's great relief. They began to move faster again, and they passe at least three pairs of legs. Matthew quivered at the sight, panic nearly taking him over. Ludwig awkwardly tried to comfort the other without making any noise.

"I can't.. can't go back to living in a cage anymore. It would kill me..." Matthew whispered as he calmed a bit. "Actually seeing how big the world is makes even thinking about my first 18 years of life difficult..." The younger cat was very obviously scared of being caught.

"If you stick close, and listen we'll get out of here. I promise." Although he was hardly the most outwardly caring, Ludwig did not like seeing anyone hurt or scared. Purple eyes peered up at him, and locked their eyes to show he wasn't lying. A few seconds later, Matthew nodded and forced his body to relax.

Not long after that, Feli let out a triumphant sound. They were jolted to a halt, and a door was opened."Yay! I was right." The more human of the trio happily pushed the cart inside the cleaning room. Ludwig and Matthew heard the door quietly shut before soft noises interrupted the silence. And then Matthew was nearly knocked over by an excited cat.

"I'm so happy you're okay! I was worried we'd never find you! That would have been so awful..." Feli shoved into the already small space his lover and Matthew were in, and began to purr happily, his tail flicking back and forth. The two smaller cats laid down together, quietly talking to each other. Ludwig however, was on guard, standing by the door. Now that he had both Feliciano and Matthew to look after, he refused to let anything happen to the two royal consorts.

"How did you escape any way? And... where are the rest of the cats?" Matthew finally asked. He was a little embarrassed that it had taken so long for him to ask the questions, he had just been so happy to see the two cats.

"Oh! The man who caught us helped out! And we all split up into teams of two to look for you." The happy cat at his side answered him, smiling. "We were supposed to meet back here in an hour. But, because we found you, I figured it would be okay to come back early." Feliciano continued, and began to ramble again, drawing Matthew into another conversation. The cats had no way of knowing how long they waited, but after a while, Ludwig stood up straight and tall.

"Hush! I hear someone coming!" He hissed, jumping away from the door. The three cats all hurried to the very back of the room, and huddled underneath a seemingly old cart. The door creaked open, and they heard footsteps, and the bumping of carts.

"Feliciano? Are you here?" Arthur's voice called out in a whisper, and the three cats crept closer. When they heard the door shut they poked their heads around the carts to see that everyone else had found their way back. And surprisingly at the same time. Gilbert crept off his cart, in obvious sadness.

"Gilbert!" Mathew called happily, and ran at the cat, whose eyes widened in shock. The smaller cat ran into him, sending the two tumbling backwards.

"Matthew? Are you alright? DId anyone hurt you?" Gilbert tried to look the young cat over as best he could. Matthew nodded and purred, not willing to get off of the white feline under him.

"As sweet as this all is, I think it would be a good idea if you all left. Like now." James' voice cut into the happy reunion everyone had been watching, and everyone was left with a grim feeling. They were so close to getting out this place, and yet there was still one hurdle left.

"How are we supposed to get out? I'm sure all the entrances have been blocked." Kiku finally asked, glancing over at James who smirked.

"There's a door in this room that leads outside to the dumpster. You can get out through that." He informed them, and began to carefully make his way towards the back wall. He gently pushed on it, and a small part of the wall swung out, revealing the setting sun. Herakles and Kiku wasted no time in transforming, and all the cats except for Arthur scurried over to the door, and stared outside.

"What are you going to do? They will surely figure out that you aided in our escape." Arthur questioned James, watching at Gilbert and Ludwig searched for the best exit.

"I think... that I might finally go back home." James told him, shuffling his feet. When he didn't hear a reply, he looked to his side to see a crumpled uniform lying on the ground. Turning his gaze back to the outside, he only saw tail rounding a corner before he lost all sight of the cats.

"Good luck." He whispered, before stepping outside and shut the door.

~x~x~x~x~x~

The building was completely silent, and dark. Almost everyone was asleep in their private room. But in one office, there was a dim light, that lit up a tired face. Ray was wallowing in self-pity. And he was so caught up in himself that he didn't hear another enter the room.

"How could you Ray? You not only had Matthew, but both of the Princes as well." An angry voice hissed out, causing Ray to jump. Slowly lifting his eyes, he barely got a glimpse of murderous brown eyes before they disappeared.

"Master... Andrew! I didn't mean to!" The man who appeared older nearly wailed.

"You failed ray. And this time... you will not go unpunished." Screams soon filled the building, echoing down long corridors. No one came out to check what was wrong. Had anyone cared to check inside the private rooms, all they would find were bloody corpses.

~x~x~End Chapter 7~x~x~

So, I was wondering, do any of you know where I got the title for this story from? Just curious.

And, do you guys think you can get me to a 100 reviews, and make my freaking year?

Hopefully I'll be able to get Chapter 8 up soon

Until then my dears...

Reviews make my gloomy little days sparkle. Why don't you throw some glitter at me, and make my world shine?


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